The present invention relates to connection devices, in particular for telecommunication lines, comprising conductor elements arranged side by side parallel to each other, each split at one end in order to receive a linewire, the conductor elements being retained axially between the two assembled parts of an insulating casing and constituting two alignments, rows or arrays arranged in facing relationship in said casing. The split end parts of the plugs are arranged in the direction of the longitudinal side of one of the parts of the casing, on the side opposite the open assembly side of said part of the casing. The longitudinal side of the casing comprises, on the one hand, driving or guiding slots provided opposite the slots of the end parts, transversely with respect to said longitudinal side and opening out on the two side faces adjacent said longitudinal side and on the other hand, access slots, passing through the same longitudinal side of the casing, longitudinally between the two alignments of split end parts of conductor elements.
In known connection devices of this type, such as that described in the French Application for a Certificate of Addition No. 2 416 565, the conductor elements are relatively close to each other in the casing and in particular in order to allow sufficient insulation between these conductor elements, in particular in the vicinity of the interface between the two parts of the casing, it has been necessary to tilt the conductor elements by an angle of 45.degree., whilst keeping them parallel to each other, which has made it possible to increase the air gap which separates them. The result of this is that if the dimension of the device is relatively small in the direction of the alignments of conductor elements, its dimension is consequently increased in the transverse direction with respect to the former and the entire connection device thus has a greater bulk. In addition, since the input and output of each line-wire are connected respectively to two conductor elements arranged opposite each other, one forming part of one alignment and the other forming part of the other alignment, it is thus absolutely necessary to use two conductor elements on each alignment, in order to connect the two wires of a line, which with an equal number of lines tends to increase the length of the connection device. On the other hand, means are not provided for possibly effecting the disconnection of the wires of all the lines quickly and in a single operation, in order to connect them immediately in a different manner. This is the case for example when it is necessary to disconnect all the output wires of a connection device, in order to connect them instantaneously to the input wires of another connection device. In the device of the prior art, an operation of this type would make it necesary to disconnect each output wire one by one from the slot in which it is held and to re-connect the latter in the slot of a conductor element forming part of another connection device, to which the input wires are already connected.